[ 2017-02-09 ]

Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface, the Minister-designate of Inner Cities and Zongo Development

We’ll ensure equitable distribution of resources in Zongos - Alhaji Boniface
Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface, the
Minister-designate of Inner Cities and Zongo
Development, has assured Ghanaians that the
Ministry would not discriminate in the
distribution of resources within the Zongo
Communities.

The socio-economic development would not be based
on ethnic or religious background.

Alhaji Saddique Boniface, the Member of Parliament
for Madina said this when he appeared before the
Parliament’s Appointments Committee, in Accra,
on Wednesday, for vetting

He said the Ministry would also ensure holistic
development of the Zongo Communities and slums
across the country.

In order to facilitate the transformation of the
Zongo Communities, he said the Ministry had
earmarked four priority areas, including
infrastructural enhancements, economic and social
empowerment as well as cultural promotion and
improving the livelihoods of the residents.

He said in the past, Zongo communities were often
located on the outskirts of the community,
however, with the expansion of those communities,
the Zongos had been integrated into the towns and
cities with people from different ethnic and
religious background.

Therefore, he said, the Ministry would improve the
drainage system in those areas, rehabilitate
schools and road networks, as well as enhance
non-formal education, ICT training and give
allowances to Arabic instructors to give off their
best.

He noted that most Ghanaians did not understand
the core mandate of the Ministry, therefore when
given the nod, he would embark on aggressive
education to educate the citizenry, including the
civil society organisations, the media, the
non-governmental organisations and political
actors to understand its responsibilities and area
of operation.

He said about 80 percent of the lands occupied by
the Zongo residents were government lands and,
therefore, pledged to dialogue with them through
the assistance of the Zongo Chiefs, Chief Imams
and influential people within the area to take the
lands for development, adding, ‘‘they will be
the ultimate beneficiaries after modernising those
places’’.

‘‘If the Zongo communities were neglected in
terms of infrastructural development, it will
create animosity between the Zongos and their
elites communities, therefore, we will strive to
ensure equitable development,’’ he said.

Alhaji Boniface observed that Zongo Communities
were often associated with unemployment, violence,
crime, illiteracy and other socially deviant
behaviours, therefore, ‘‘We will seek to
change such perception and tagging through
conscientisation of the populace’’.

According to him, there were about 500 Zongo
Communities in the country with varied social,
economic and infrastructural needs and the
Ministry would collaborate with other ministries
in providing their essential needs.

Commenting on the Zongo Development Fund, he said
it would require a legislation in establishing the
Fund, but it had a seed capital of $50 million
dollars and noted that though it was inadequate,
it was hoping that other donor partners would come
on board after the Ministry had rolled-out its
plans and programmes.

With regard to kerbing rural-urban migration, he
said the trend had created streetism and slums in
the cities and would tackle them with all the
seriousness.

‘‘You know some of these women come to the
urban centres because they require about GHc200 to
buy a sewing machine or start a business,
therefore we will roll out programmes to empower
them and give them financial support because with
GHc5, 000 or GHc10, 000 it will be sufficient for
one to start her own business without necessarily
coming to the cities,’’ he pointed out.

Addressing the problem of early child marriages in
Zongo Communities, he said the issue of early
child marriage could be traced to poverty and
added that since Muslim men were entitled to four
wives some were abusing it.

He said the Ministry would conscientize parents to
allow their daughters to go to school in order to
become responsible adults with the right to choose
their life partners.

The Ministry of Inner Cities and Zongo Development
would operate and draw its budget from the Office
of the President.

Source - GNA

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